The Merchant Hotel in Belfast, famous for its record breaking £750 Mai Tai, has now launched another boozy masterpiece – a £1,000 cocktail hailed as a ‘once in a lifetime experience’
Cocktail lovers may need to start saving a year in advance before making a booking at Belfast’s Merchant Hotel’s award-winning cocktail bar, which this week launched a £1,000 “masterpiece” tipple.
Hailed as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience”, the Midleton Foret de Troncais was launched today (Wednesday, February 12) as part of the city centre hotel’s new luxury cocktail menu, with the opulent drinks mixed with rare whiskeys by Midleton, Macallan and Michter’s.
The Rare and Refined Collection beverages start at an eyewatering £785 – with the Midleton Foret de Troncais being the priciest of the bunch – and it’s likely patrons will be careful not to spill a single drop. Served with Antica Formula and Dubonnet, the Midleton Foret de Troncais is described as “a masterpiece of Irish whiskey, aged in rare French Troncais oak casks and delivering elegant notes of honey, toasted almonds and delicate spice”.
Other items on the menu include Michter’s 20 (£785), which includes a mix of two-decades aged American bourbon, with notes of caramelised oak, dark cherry, vanilla and tobacco, poured with Gammel Dansk Bitter Dram and Transatlantic Bitters.
Customers can also enjoy the Macallan 25 (£850), aged in sherry-seasoned oak. Said to be “known for its deep richness, velvety texture, layers of dried fruit, chocolate, and warming spice”, this beverage will be curated with Orange Cream, Riemerschmid Bitters and Elixir Liqueur.
The Merchant Hotel, which will become the first bar in Northern Ireland to receive a prestigious 2 Pin award from the Pinnacle Guide – ie the ‘Michelin Guide for Bars’ – later this month, has long made a name for itself as a purveyor of unique, upmarket drinks.
Back in 2007, the upscale hotel’s £750 Mai Tai earned it the Guinness Book of Records title for the world’s most expensive cocktail However, in 2013, this was overtaken many times over by an eyewatering £8,583 cocktail served in Melbourne, Australia. For those watching the pennies, the hotel does also serve delicious sounding cocktails under the £20 mark on its regular menu, starting from £14.99.
Merchant Bar’s general manager, Aaron Dugan, who runs the establishment alongside cocktail bar manager Emily Doherty, said: “We are proud to bring our unique collaboration with three icons of whiskey to life with The Rare & Refined Collection.
“These exceptional drinks have been crafted to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences to be savoured. The lucky few that get to try these drinks will get to relish something truly special.
“And, for those that find the price tag too rich, we have also created an exceptional collection of 21 cocktails, inspired by timeless classics, but with a unique Merchant twist. Named according to their flavour profile, the menu has been designed to help customers match their preferred flavour profiles to their choices. There truly is something to suit every taste.”
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia. banim@reachplc.com
